DACA/Non-Citizen Students

Here what to do if you are an Non-citizen (DACA and Undocumented):

Research and Apply for colleges that you want to go to like everyone else if you are eligible. You may be labeled as an international or "out-of-state" student which means higher tuition, but you can still attend.
Look at private colleges. Private college are generally more expensive but they often offer more financial aid and scholarships because they have more funding.
Don't let worrying about paying for college prevent you from applying. We will use a combination of the following to help pay for college:

Scholarships: If the scholarship does not say "for US citizens only," then you can apply!
Ask the college about a payment plan: Can't pay all at once? Talk to a financial adviser at the college/university about setting up a payment plan to help with cost.
Private loans: These are usually offered through banks and are given based on your credit history. However, you may need a US citizen to co-sign for you.

DON'T WORRY! COLLEGE IS STILL A POSSIBILITY!

It may seem impossible or super difficult, but plenty of students before you have been able to go and graduate from college without having citizenship. You may have to put in more work and fill out more forms and search a little deeper from money, but anything worth having takes hard work! Keep the faith and apply - you never know what will happen! Here is the GOOD NEWS:

Most public and private colleges WILL accept you without citizenship, it will just cost more money! However, there are scholarships out there to help!
Many colleges (esp. private ones) offer scholarships that do not require citizenship, so search the website, and APPLY! Never be afraid to ASK if you do not know and never be afraid to APPLY - you never know what can happen!

However, here is the BAD NEWS:
1. 1. Resources may be limited, for example, health insurance, enlisting in the military, and state/federal funding may not be available to you.
  2. You cannot enlist in the armed forces.
  3. You are not eligible for government or state aid like the HOPE Scholarship or filling out the FAFSA form.
  4. Finally, the following colleges will not accept non-citizens: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia College and Georgia State.

BUT DON'T GIVE UP, THERE ARE STILL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT WILL WELCOME YOU! SO APPLY!

HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE AN "ELIGIBLE NON-CITIZEN" YOU DO QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL AID! "Eligible non-citizens" include:

US permanent resident, with a Permanent Resident Card (or "Green Card")
Conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
Possess an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security with the following designations: "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Indefinite Parole," "Humanitarian Parole," or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant"
A citizen of the Republic of Palau (PW), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (MH), or the Federated States of Micronesia (FM)

IF ANY OF THESE DESCRIPTIONS APPLY TO YOU, YOU CAN APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID AND FILL OUT THE FAFSA FORM! Check out the site: https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/outreach/target/noncitizens.jsp

NEED LEGAL HELP? WANT TO TALK TO AN ATTORNEY? YOU CAN FOR FREE: go to these agencies websites:

IF YOU WANT TO SEE A LIST OF COLLEGES THAT NON-CITIZENS CAN APPLY TO, GO TO Gafutures.org. Just remember, the public colleges may require that you pay out-of-state tuition. Also check out Bigfutures @ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org AND https://www.petersons.com/college-search.aspx

Also, consider ACCREDITED ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAMS! Online degree programs charge a flat-rate fee, per credit hour and do not charge out of state or international tuition fees. Check out Ecore: https://ecore.usg.edu/about/how-does-it-work OR https://ecore.usg.edu/about/institutions

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